Candy coating feeding machine



P 1936- J. B, DILGER ET AL 2,054,247 I CANDY COATING FEEDING MACHINE Filed June 13, 1935 DOOOOOOOOOQOGGQOOOOOO U D OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO oooooooooooooooooooo u";

' %ooooooooooooooooo0 0 0 N oooooooooooooooooooo a J gvwuntozs Jinn 6. DiLger q mar/es m/e r/ SE /WI)" firm/14 3 Man) Patented Sept. 15, 1936 2,0 4,247 tielSSUED PATENT OFFICE CANDY COATING FEEDING MACHINE John B. Dilger, Lyndhurst, and Charles Allegri, Nutley, N. J.

Application June 13, 1935, Serial No. 26,438

5 Claims.

The main object of this invention is the provision of a novel feeding device for feeding small candies, nut goods, cakes, biscuits and other food products, chewing gum, and medicine tablets which are to be'coated with chocolate or other coating, into a coating machine, in such manner that the candies remain separated from each other while receivingthe chocolate or other coating. In the feeding devices commonly used, many of the candies lie too close to each other while being coated, so that upon emergence from the coating machine they are stuck together by the chocolate coating, and such candies must be either discarded as waste, or sold at a loss as seconds.

The above and other object will become apparent in the description below, in which char acters of reference refer to like-named parts in the accompanying drawing.

Referring briefly to the drawing, Figure 1 is a schematic side view of the feeding machine.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a section of the conveyor belt on which the candies to be coated are set by an operator.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-- l of Figure 2.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numerals l0 and II represent respectively a large and a small pulley or roller mutually intermeshed by gears I2 and I3 respectively, each gear being co-axial and rigid on its roller. A conveyor belt I4, consisting of a pair of spaced-apart bands or belts l5 and I5, is trained about the ends of the roller It. A second conveyor belt [1, extending the width of the roller II, is trained about the latter at one end and about a second roller |8 at the other, the end l8 of this belt lying adjacent to the intake conveyor belt of the chocolate coating machine, not shown. Either the roller ID or the roller is driven by a motor, not shown.

The band I5 is provided throughout its length with closely spaced-apart pins l9, and the band I6 with similar pins 26. Candy racks 2|, which may be made of light metal such as tin or sheet iron which is beaded or otherwise formed to give them rigidity, are bridged across the bands l5 and I6. Each rack 2| has on one end a rounded slot, a rounded slot 22 with its mouth on the end of the rack, and at its other end a similar slot 23 with its mouth at the side of the rack. It is obvious that the racks are readily removably mounted on the bands I5 and I6 by having the pins l9 and 20 registering in the slots 22 and 23, respectively.

Each rack 2| has a plurality of holes or openings 24 provided throughout its length. These holes, for candies of the cream drop variety illustrated, arecircular, although their form may be varied 'for other shapes of candies.

In operation, the un-coated candies 25'-25 are deposited on the front end 26 of the conveyor l4. As all of the candies will not fall peak-down into the holes 24, a shaking mechanism is provided to shake the candies into the holes. lhis comprises a shaft 2'? extending the width of the belt l4 having a pinion 23 on one end driven by a gear 29 from a source of powernot shown. At either end of the shaft 2? is a disk 30 having on its outer face an eccentric pin 3|. Alink 32 is pivoted on the pin 3i, and at its lower end is provided with a pivoted horizontal tongue 33 engaging the lower edge of the band I5 or IE. While the belt i4 is moving, the gear 29 is rotated rapidly, thus causing a rapid shaking of the belt and causing the candies 25 on the racks 2| to be shaken into the holes 24. To prevent the candies from falling out of the racks while passing around the roller ID, a guard 34' is provided around this roller.

With the candies in the holes of the racks 2|, the latter are conveyed around the roller I0, and when they reach the belt ll, which is travelling in the opposite direction, the candies drop out of the racks on to the belt I! in rows and standing upright. The belt I! then carries them into the coating machine.

It is to be noted that the candies arrive into the coating machine aligned in rows and spacedapart from each other, so that it is impossible for two candies to be pasted together by the chocolate coating. A baffle 35 may be mounted in the path of the rising lower side of the belt M, to wipe 01f the racks 2| any candies which may have failed to drop out onto the belt 11. An idler roller 36 may be mounted between the baflle 35 and the roller H] to increase the slope of the lower portion of the belt l4 on leaving the roller l0.

Obviously, modifications in form and structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim:

1. A device of the class described comprising a roller having a belt band trained about each end thereof, spaced-apart pins on each of said bands, racks having slotted ends engageable in said pins removably mounted on said bands and bridging said bands, said racks having holes therein adapted to receive candies therein.

2. A device of the class described comprising a roller having a belt'band trained about each end thereof, spaced-apart pins on each of said bands, racks having slotted ends engageable in said pins removably mounted on said bands and bridging said bands, said racks being provided with holes adapted to receive candies therein, and means for shaking said bands to cause said candies to fall into said holes.

3. A device of the class described comprising a roller having a belt band trained about each end thereof, spaced-apart pins on each of said bands, racks having slotted ends engageable in said pins removably mounted on said bands and bridging said bands, said racks having holes therein adapted to receive candies, and a guard surrounding one side of said roller to prevent said candies from falling out of said racks while said racks are passing around said roller;

4. A feeding device for candy coating machines said pins removably mounted on said bands and bridging said bands, said racks being provided 7 with holes adapted to receive the candies therein,

means transmitting the rotation of the first roller to the second roller, and a'conveyor belt trained rality of racks having slotted ends engagablein said pins removably mounted on said bands and bridging said bands, said racks having holes therein adapted to receive the articles to be coated, a guard surrounding one side of said roller to prevent said articles from falling out of said racks while said racks are passing around said roller, a second roller, means transmitting the;

rotation of the first roller to the second roller, and a conveyor belt trained about said second roller, said latter conveyor belt being adapted to receive the articles to be fed from said racks and feed the same to the respective machine without disturbing the uniform order or arrangement.

JOHN B. DILGER. CHARLES ALLEGRI. 

